[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
[May 20, 2006]
[Pages 976-978]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
May 20, 2006

    Good morning. Earlier this week, I spoke to you from the Oval Office 
to lay out my vision for reforming our Nation's immigration system. And 
on Thursday, I went to Arizona to visit with the men and women of the 
Border Patrol. I wanted to get an update on their efforts because a 
secure America depends on a secure border.
    I believe America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at 
the same time. We must enforce our laws while honoring our proud 
immigrant heritage. So I support comprehensive immigration reform that 
will accomplish five clear objectives.
    First, America must secure its borders. Since I became President, 
we've increased funding for border security by 66 percent, hired 
thousands more Border Patrol agents, and caught and sent home about 6 
million illegal immigrants. Yet we have much more work to do.
    So this week, I asked Congress to provide funding for dramatic 
improvements in manpower and technology at the border. We'll hire 
thousands more Border Patrol agents. And to help these agents do their 
jobs, we will deploy advanced technologies such as high-tech fences in 
urban areas, infrared cameras, and unmanned aerial vehicles. We'll also 
draw on the expertise of State and local law enforcement in our border 
communities and give them new resources and training so they can help 
secure our border.

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    Putting these new resources in place will take time. To help during 
this transition, up to 6,000 National Guard members will be deployed to 
our southern border. They will assist the Border Patrol by operating 
surveillance and communication systems, installing fences and vehicle 
barriers, building patrol roads, and analyzing intelligence. The support 
of Guard personnel will allow Border Patrol agents to use their skills 
to focus on securing the border.
    Second, to secure our border, we must create a temporary-worker 
program that provides foreign workers a legal and orderly way to enter 
our country for a limited period of time. This program would reduce 
pressure on the border, meet the needs of our economy, and allow honest 
immigrants to provide for their families while respecting the law. And 
it will help us make certain we know who is in our country and why they 
are here.
    Third, we need to hold employers to account for the workers they 
hire by creating a better system for verifying documents and work 
eligibility. The system should include a new tamper-proof identification 
card for every legal foreign worker. This card would help us enforce the 
law and leave employers with no excuse for breaking it. And by making it 
harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would 
discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place.
    Fourth, we must resolve the status of millions of illegal immigrants 
who are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to 
citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair 
to those who are here lawfully, and it would invite further waves of 
illegal immigration.
    Some people think any proposal short of mass deportation is amnesty. 
I disagree. There's a rational middle ground between automatic 
citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass 
deportation. Illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want 
to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty, pay their taxes, learn 
English, and work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these 
conditions should be able to apply for citizenship, but approval will 
not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who 
played by the rules and followed the law.
    Fifth, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot 
by helping newcomers assimilate into our society. Americans are bound 
together by our shared ideals: an appreciation of our history; respect 
for our flag; and the ability to speak and write in English. We will 
work to ensure that every new citizen fully embraces our common culture. 
When immigrants assimilate, they will advance in our society, realize 
their dreams, renew our spirit, and add to the unity of America.
    Congress is now considering legislation on immigration reform. That 
legislation must be comprehensive. All elements of this problem must be 
addressed together or none of them will be solved at all. The House 
started the debate by passing an immigration bill. Now the Senate should 
act by the end of this month, so we can work out the differences between 
the two bills, and Congress can pass a bill for me to sign into law.
    We should approach this debate with confidence. America has shown 
before that we can enforce our laws and uphold our values, and we will 
do it again. Our Nation honors the heritage of all who've come here 
because we trust in our country's genius for making us all Americans, 
one Nation under God.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:45 a.m. on May 19 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 20. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
May 19 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of 
the Press Secretary also

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released a Spanish language transcript of this address.